Annapurna base camp trek

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Annapurna base camp trek is a combination of spectacular mountain scenery with an insight knowledge of hill tribe in western Nepal. Mostly the trail passes through the mountain village, terraced farming, forest and on the higher elevation may be some pastures as well. As people reach Annapurna base camp they get a grand 360 degrees view of snowcapped mountains. Discovered in late 40’s this trek is of no second alternatives and lifetime experiences for many of our customers.Trekking in Himalaya means a lots of ups and downs but this trek is harder for exceptionally few days as you start from very low elevation and reach just 4130m. above sea level.One of our best sellers that takes you to the world’s popular hiking trails. The perfect trip for people from any age group as the hiking starts from very low elevation and reach only up to 4130 m, above sea level. The trip gives opportunity to observe Gurung culture, Magar culture, beautiful landscape, the cultivated terraces and valleys. The highlight of the trip is Annapurna Base Camp from where one can get 360 degrees snowcapped peaks is observed. The trail at the beginning passes through beautiful villages belongs to Gurung communities, as one go higher the vegetation keep changing and the landscapes too. There are few settlements after one crosses the biggest village of Chhomrong. Annapurna basecamp actually lies inside the Annapurna conservation area.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek at a glance

Maximum elevation: 4,130 meter

Number of Days: 10 days of walking

Difficulty level: Easy, but has steps ups and downs, walking in high altitude only for 2 days

Accommodation: Tea house during the trek and hotel in Kathmandu

Transportation: Private transfer and tourist bus

Price: $980 per person

Best time to go: March- May and September-November but can be operated throughout the year

The highlight of the trip

The major highlight of the trip is of course the Annapurna Base Camp which is located in the elevation of 4130 m. As the view from Basecamp is of unparalleled beauty the area is considered special. Besides the basecamp Poonhill or the village of Ghorepani considered another highlight of the trip as the view is one of the best as well as the village itself is located amidst the forest of rhododendron, when rhododendron blooms in the spring season i.e. March and April the whole area is considered part of the paradise in the earth. The trek is also popular to discover the culture of Gurung people with their customs, festivals, language and lifestyles. The housing pattern of this hill tribe is different than any other ethnic group in the Himalayas. The clustered houses with slate roof and painted brightly with red and white natural clay mark their house different than others. Most of the biggest Gurung villages organize even the Rodhi with singing and dancing as entertainment for young people in the village. The tribe is also popular to work in British military where they formed Gurkha regiments. A conversation with the retired gurkha is highly appreciable for many of the trekkers.

Difficulty level of the trip

The difficulty level is the parameter which is very hard to tell as it varies from individual to individual. Himalayan Travel Consultant consider this trek as of easy to medium difficult because there are some days our client need to make lots of steps going up and some days you have to make lots of steps down. Some part of the trail even they haven’t made the steps, it looks more natural. The second day of the trek as they have to make from Tikhedhunga to Ghorepani almost 3500 steps and the first part does not have much shades make people tired and over exhausted, once you make this part rest of the days seems much more comfortable. As the trek does not go to very high elevation there is very less chance that people get acute mountain sickness in this trek.

The best time to go

People can go to Annapurna Base Camp throughout the year but the best season is from March up to June and September up to December. January and February seems too cold in the mountain but still got best views. July and August is rainy season in the area so it might be cloudy and the views might be blocked due to the clouds.

Duration of the trip

The trip is planned for 15 days which include a day sightseeing in Kathmandu to explore the world heritage sites in Kathmandu also. The itineraries are well organized for the successful ascent up to the Base camp.

The price of the trip

The price varies with accommodation in Kathmandu and Pokhara as well as the means of transportation used from Kathmandu to Pokhara and vice versa. Please feel free to write to us regarding price considering the type of accommodation and type of transportation you like to use. We calculated our standard price with standard accommodation up above.

Is this trip ideal for me?

As it depends with individuals whether the trip is right for you or not, this trip is for individuals who are able to walk 15-20 kilometers a day in different type of terrains. During this trip there will be lots of ups and down as the trip starts at an elevation of about 1000 meters above sea level reach 4130 meters above sea level and end up at the same elevation. If you are fit to make all these ups and downs, have zeal to see the spectacular view of snowcapped mountains we recommend this trip for our valuable customers. Besides the physical fitness the mental fitness also necessary as the accommodations are very basic and if you go in the main season even our customers need to share an accommodation especially in higher elevation like Deurali and above. There are limited beds there and numbers of visitors are much higher than the number of the beds available. The facilities are not of western standard and very basic. The foods they serve in the mountains are fresh but still very simple and the cost of the food is higher than in the lower elevation. So the individuals who are prepared to adopt with all these situations and love adventure with or without prior experience enjoy the trip very much.

Itinerary

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Trip Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival in Kathmandu. Meet and greet by our representative/ guide and transfer to your allocated hotel.

Day 02: Sightseeing of Kathmandu. Introductory trip to Kathmandu including sightseeing of one of the old palace complex, popular by the name Patan Durbar square, a Buddhist temple popular by the name monkey temple among the foreigners but is called Swoyambhunath and a Hindu temple Pashupatinath, a popular cremation ground for many hindus of Kathmandu. All these places are listed by UNESCO as world heritages. Afternoon time free for doing trek preparation.

Day 03: Drive to Pokhara (820m.). A scenic drive leaving Kathmandu mostly follows the riverbank. About 200km but depend with traffic might take 7-8 hours in the bus.

Day 04: Early morning drive to trek starting point Nayapul takes about 2 hours and start walking and reach Tirkhedhunga(1570m).Takes normally 3-4 hours to reach the village.

Day 05: Trek from Tirkhedhunga to Ghorepani (2850m) about 6-7 hours of walking. At the beginning ascends to Ulleri, the hardest climb of the whole trip and still going up gently until you reach Ghorepani. Is a very nice Magar village and probably you get your accommodation in a lodge which is operated by one of the retired gurkha.

Day 06: Early morning sunrise trip to Poonhill (3210m) and trek down to Tadapani (2540m), 4-5 hours of walking. Ascend at the beginning and go down to rhododendron forest and last minutes ascend to reach Tadapani. The highlight of the trek and one of the important opportunities to see Dhawalagiri, the famous eight thousand meter peak which remained as tallest peak of the world until they discovered Everest is the highest.

Day 07: Trek from Tadaapani to Chhomrong (2210m) takes 4-5 hours. One of the biggest village of the whole trip and land of Gurungs. Chhomrong gives you an opportunity to discover mountain lifestyle especially of Gurung community.

Day 08: Trek from Chhomrong to Dovan (2600m), takes 6-7 hours of walking. Crossing the last cultivated terraces of the area, the trek gently ascends following the Modi river bank.

Day 09: Trek from Dovan to Machhapuchhre Base Camp (3700m) and takes 5-6 hours. Continue following the Modi river bank upstream and reach MBC, from where one can get a view of Machhapuchhre like a wall next to you.

Day 10: Trek from Machhapuchhre Base camp (MBC) to Annapurna Base camp (4130m). 3-4 hours walk from MBC you reach a small paradise called Annapurna Base camp from where you can get a snowcapped mountain view to any directions.

Day 11: Trek from ABC to Bamboo (2300m). Start descending what you climbed earlier and stay overnight at bamboo. A small village some time hard to get a room and people suppose to continue further down.

Day 12: Trek from Bamboo to Jhinudanda (1780m) and takes 5-6 hours of walking. Jhinudanda is the place where people go to enjoy the hot spring. Located in the bank of Modiriver, main central thrust passing from here resulting a natural hot spring.

Day 13: Trek from Jhinudanda to Nayapul and drive back to Pokhara. Follow downstream on Modi river about 5-6 hours reaching Nayapul and take a drive of couple of hours reach Pokhara.

Day 15: Departure from Kathmandu. On a proper hour transfer to airport for your further destination or home.

Price Includes:

Airport transfers including pickups and drop in private vehicle.Descent accomodation in Kathmandu.Teahouse accomodation during the trek.All meals during the trek with a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate every meals.Welcome dinner.Introductory city tour as per the itinerary.Monument admission fees as per the itinerary.Experienced English speaking local guides.Porter (Every 2 trekker 1 porter and carrry about 25 kg of weight.)Staff's expense.Down Jacket and sleeping bag for use during the trek.A comfortable Duffel bag for the trek.All permits and fees.All government taxes.

Price Excludes:

Nepal Visa fees. Most of the countries obtain the visa in the airport. Visa fees are $30 for 15 days, $50 for one month.

Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu except mentioned in itinerary

Bar and beverage bill during the trek

Hot shower and battery recharge during the trek

Insurance for evacuation and medical facilities

Expense of personal nature like phone calls, laundry, extra porter

Tips for guides, drivers and porters (you can see the tipping guideline in our tipping page)

Trekking equipment like trekking poles, water bottles etc.

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FAQ for Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Do I need a permit to do this trekking?

Yes, you need a permit to do this trek as it is located inside the conservation area besides TAAN issue TIMS card you can get it from Nepal tourism board if you want to go on your own but we highly recommend you organize the trip with government recognized trekking companies.

Do I need to carry foods for the trek?

No, where you stay they have their kitchen where they cook fresh and hot food for you but you can carry energy bars, some sort of chocolates and light snacks as you can utilize for in between meals.

What about my sleeping arrangements, do I need to carry sleeping bags?

Most of the tea houses furnished with twin bed rooms and they have their mattress and quilt, as you go higher the cleanliness might not meet standard you think so it is always wise to carry a nice sleeping bag with inner linings to use during the trek.

Will I get porters to carry my stuffs?

Every two trekkers we normally give one porter who carries your stuffs, every morning you prepare a day pack with all the essentials necessary for the trek, rest of the belongings are carried by porters.

Is there electricity to charge my electronic devices?

Most of the villages where we stop they have electricity where you can charge your electronic devices like your phone, camera etc. Some of these tea houses might charge nominal fee for charging your devices.

Are there ATM s and money changer available on the way?

There is no ATM and money changer on the way, whatever expense you want to carry please exchange in Kathmandu or Pokhara but in case of emergencies you can exchange some amount in local tea houses but the exchange rate is always low.